**we are NOT seeking donations, any request for donations is from the petition site**

Two weeks to flatten the curve, don’t wear a mask, wear a mask, just a few more weeks, we can’t get back to normal until we have a vaccine….Since March of 2020 there has been a non-stop moving of the goal posts as the target of getting back to “normal” never ceases to stand still. We have jumped through all the hoops, stayed home to protect our vulnerable friends and loved ones and made the sacrifices that were asked of us. Arguable, our children have made the biggest sacrifices, having not only their activities, but their everyday schooling taken away from them. They have been asked to stay away from their friends and wear masks that prohibit their breathing, when their age demographic was at the lowest risk of all.

Since the pandemic was declared, the mental health of kids all over the world has declined greatly. Pediatricians are seeing major upticks in depression, anxiety and suidice in their practices, with children as young as 7 and 8 years old. Parents are noticing that their kids are really struggling, enough is enough! After more than 15 months we now have plenty of data and evidence that shows children are not at risk, schools are not “super spreaders”, there ARE treatments for those who get sick and there is a vaccine available to those who want it. Constant testing, contact tracing and the quarantining of healthy people is an unprecedented and unverified way of dealing with an illness and has never before in the history of pandemics been used to deal with stopping or slowing disease transmission. It has been found in a German study that children are not the ones spreading the virus. It is the adults spreading the virus. ““The evidence suggests that children are less likely to become infected, less likely to develop severe disease and less likely to transmit the virus to other children and adults,” said co-author and pediatrician Dr. William Raszka Jr. of the University of Vermont School of Medicine. “It is wildly different from flu.”

It is especially important for younger children to be able to play as part of learning. When they are told they must be afraid of their friends and teachers it puts unneeded stress on our youngest students. Learning social and emotional cues by looking at people's faces is also inhibited by mask wearing. The American Academy of Pediatrics, a traditionally cautious group of doctors, recommends children return to school. They stated, “a one-size-fits-all approach is not appropriate for return to school decisions. “Science should drive decision-making safety on reopening schools. Public health agencies must make recommendations based on evidence, not politics.”

Providing these children with a hot meal is also very important as it might be the only hot meal they get for breakfast and lunch. Pre-packaged meals are not a healthy alternative for our children. Again, the overall health and wellness of our children is obviously not being placed as a priority.

OSHA has laws regulating the oxygen levels in facilities requiring masks to be worn. There are architectural standards required in commercial buildings regarding sufficient oxygen levels when masks are required to be worn. The air exchange requirements are much greater than in a regular room where masks aren’t required. Testing is done to be sure the air quality is sufficient. Temperature and humidity is controlled because that also affects oxygen levels. Will there be new standards implemented for increased oxygen levels within the schools to counter the decreased levels of oxygen being breathed in due to the wearing of masks over noses and mouths? It is imperative you review the OSHA Standards for people required to wear masks (also known as respirators) because if we are going to require our children to wear masks all day, we must take measures to accommodate for decreased oxygen inhalation. Before an employer can require an employee to wear a mask, an extensive questionnaire is answered. As you can see, even if a person has had asthma, allergies or other respiratory issues either past or present, it is recommended they seek medical attention before wearing a mask, which should also be fitted and of appropriate material for the environment they are working. Recommending a blanket statement, one-size-fits-all mask mandate is extremely irresponsible. The OSHA standards can be seen here: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standar...

It is time for schools to get back to normal, REAL normal! A return to school with some kids masked and others not is not only a breach of medical privacy but it will most likely lead to discrimination and bullying. Other states all over the country have returned to normal, with no major issues. If celebrities can have award shows and we can host major league sporting events, with thousands of unmasked people gathering, we can send our kids back to school WITHOUT masks or social distancing and keep it that way all year long!

We the parents and taxpayers of the Metamora area schools are asking the school boards to allow families to make choices that are best for their families and support the bodily autonomy of each individual student.

Articles about world public health policies:

https://www.jennifermargulis.net/healthy-people-we...

Wearing masks can cause health issues:

https://www.jennifermargulis.net/wearing-mask-can-...

The lack of science for mask wearing:

https://www.jennifermargulis.net/cdc-mask-wearing-...

Attached below are several peer reviewed studies that show the inefficacy of mask wearing:

https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/5/4/e006577.full

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC44209...

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18500410/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15340662/

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00173017

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18331781/

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-35797-3

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31479137/

https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/5/4/e006577#T1

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21477136/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28039289/

https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/5/4/e006577.long

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20584862/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22188875/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31479137/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27531371/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29855107/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29678452/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25806411/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23108786/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25858901/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/5333967/

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.13...

https://academic.oup.com/annweh/article/54/7/789/2...

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27531371/

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/epidemiolo...

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j...

https://www.cmaj.ca/content/188/8/567

https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/65/11/1934/40...

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/...

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j...

https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi...

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/disaster-m...

https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/11/3/494/3970...

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsi...

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.13...

https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles...